Posted on 12/18/2007 9:44:50 PM PST by HAL9000
It would be a mistake to think that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were comparable incidents to Chernobyl, or that the results of those incidents, including the amount of radioactive contamination, would be identical.
As tornadochaser pointed out, the number of deaths caused by the Chernobyl disaster was much smaller than first predicted. I believe we can all be thankful for that. The estimated death toll to this point in time is 3500 to 4000. There will be more who die of thyroid cancer and other cancers in the future. While it is not possible to positively link to the incident in Chernobyl every individual case of such cancers in those who were exposed, there was, and continues to be, an increase in the incidence of such cancers in that group.
There is, to this day, more than 20 years after the incident, an "exclusion zone" around The Chernobyl plant. The most heavily contaminated area, called zone 4, is a 19 mile radius around the plant. No one lives there. There are some who work in that area. The contamination is not evenly spread around the plant due to weather patterns and depending on where contaminated materials were buried. Nor is the contamination confined to the Ukraine. There are areas in Belarus which are contaminated, as well.
I don't think you would want to raise your family in any of those areas, whether zone 1, 2 ,3, or 4. Riskwise, it would be similar to smoking, which kills one third of its practitioners. You want to take that chance with your kids? So, yes, it will be "uninhabitable for the foreseeable future."
In other words, the Russkies had it right when they developed their strategic plans on the notion that nukes (within certain parameters) are ‘survivable’
I don’t buy into all of their safety guarantees, but I see a huge market our there for this stuff.
And it is not like there is not a dearth of material to work with.
> Actually, Toshiba has been working on this for about a decade. It is a pretty cool idea.
Yes, I know. I’ve been following the announcements for some time. However, 200 kilowatts is the smallest reactor they have ever discussed - 50 times smaller than the 10 megawatt models that I have usually seen mentioned.
The power output of this reactor is minuscule. One horsepower equals 746 watts, so 200 kilowatts is only about 269 horsepower. The reactor core itself is designed to require no maintenance over its entire 350,000 hour continuous operating life, but I doubt you will be able to find a 270 horsepower steam turbine or AC generator which is designed to be completely maintenance-free for 40 years of 24/7 operation.
The reactor may be designed to require no onsite staff, but good luck getting the NRC to allow you to operate a reactor without one.
A simple “large concrete bunker” may seem like enough security, but will that be enough to protect the core if some jihadists dig a 500 meter tunnel to the closest point outside the concrete and set off a couple of tons of high explosive against it?
bmflr
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According to Intrade, the winner of the December 12th GOP debate was... Duncan Hunter.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1938773/posts
After too much quibbling from the flat-earth lobby, Toshiba lost interest in the deal. No it looks like another part of the future that will happen without us.
You might be right about the NRC. Very “hands on”. They like switches, dials, and those pretty, blinky lights. It looks like Christmas, all lit up like that.
I do, however, think that a honking concrete bunker would be plenty of protection. Jihadists are cowards. They only attack soft targets. It would hard to explain a bunch of folks wielding shovels with towels wrapped around their heads digging around a bunker holding a reactor. Might look suspicious.
I was not actually advocating having nobody around. Just not needing an army of folks to guard a hunk concrete in the ground.
They're not that theatrical today. It's more like, step in front of a subway train. The last actual seppuku I'm aware of was the right-wing author Yukio Mishima, in 1970 at the Ichigaya Army base.
Using a large number of reactors like this in a city would allow the existing grid to become more local, with most power shipped over short distances. This would mean much lower transmission loses.
And a more stable, less vulnerable power grid.
Great. Human nature being what it is, they need all the safeguards possible.
http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Toshiba’s_Micro_Nuclear_Reactor
Company Correspondence
On Dec. 27, 2007, the following was received from Toshiba in response to an invitation to come on the Free Energy Now (http://freeenergynow.net) radio series:
Dear Mr. Allan,
Thank you for contacting Toshiba’s Corporate Communications Office and for inviting us to your radio show interview program.
First of all, we came to know that there are a great number of references of “micro nuclear reactor” on google search, many of the which use Toshiba logo and 4S system image with unfamiliar name “micro nuclear”, unfamiliar mark and unfamiliar information.
Toshiba have tried to trace where the confusing information comes from, but we have not been successful so far. (Actually, Toshiba is not the source of the information.)
In replying to your invitation for your radio program, we are afraid that we must cordially decline the opportunity this time.
Just for your reference, I hereby attach below the outline of the 4S syste, OUR next-generation, super-small nuclear reactor system, jointly developed by Toshiba and CRIEPI.
As you will see, Unfortunately, it is premature and we are not able to provide detail information about the 4S system at this stage since the expected date of commercialization of the systems is after the mid-2010s.
- - - - -
The 4S (Super-safe, Small, and Simple), jointly developed by Toshiba and the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), a Japanese electric power industry R&D institute, is a new-type of highly compact nuclear power generation system with a power output of about 10-megawatt (MWe). Due to its innovative design and concept, the 4S can operate without refueling for as long as 30 years, greatly alleviating operating and maintenance costs and enhancing operational safety. This feature positions 4S as a promising alternative power solution for distributed, relatively small-scale power requirements, in regions with limited or no transmission capacity.
In 2007, Toshiba initiated the process for preliminary review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the 4S system, a next-generation, super-small nuclear reactor system, with a view to securing commercialization of the system.
The targeted date of commercialization of the 4S system is after the mid-2010s.
- - - - -
Thank you very much again for your invitation and understanding.
Sincerely,
Hiroko Mochida
Toshiba CCO
Thanks for the update.
Captain!
She’s gonna blow!
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